10 Best Whole30 Condiments, According to Nutritionists
Scan a list of "can't eat on Whole30" foods, and you might get discouraged. Say goodbye to your vanilla latte, Sunday bagel, and late-night chocolate square (or scoop). But, according to clinical and functional nutritionist Caitlin Self, MS, CNS, LDN of Frugal Nutrition, when people take on the clean-eating plan, "they are most often surprised by how tricky it can be to find condiments that are Whole30 approved."
The Whole30 diet entails eliminating—brace yourself—all alcohol, added sugars, preservatives or additives, dairy, grains, beans or legumes, and soy for thirty days. And "most dressings, sauces, and spreads contain many of these forbidden ingredients like preservatives and added sugar," Self says.
Don't despair. You're not condemned to a month of blah chicken, undressed lettuce, and boiled eggs. "There are several flavor-filled condiments that are Whole30 approved, it just takes a little work to find them," says Self.
To make it easy for you we made a list of nutritionist-recommend, Whole30-friendly condiments you can buy at the grocery store. Scroll down for dressings, dips, and marinades that'll give you all the flavor without any of the gunk.
Primal Kitchen Caesar
According to Self, Primal Kitchen is probably the best known brand for Whole30-approved condiments. She says their Caesar salad dressing is one of her go-tos. It has an avocado oil, apple cider vinegar, and organic cage-free egg base, and "is free from soy, gluten, sugar, dairy, with no added sweetener."
It's admittedly less thick than most other store-bought Caesar's, but it's the heartiest and most-flavorful Whole30 option on the market. She recommends using it to dress romaine, add flavor to an organic, cage-free patty, or to enliven cold chicken breast.
Primal Kitchen Chipotle Lime Mayo
Another nutritionist-approved sauce from the favored brand is this zesty take on chipotle mayo. Made from organic cage-free eggs, avocado oil, and lime juice concentrate, a dollop of this mayo will add the perfect kick to dishes like chicken fajitas, and crab or salmon cakes. Samantha Presicci, (MCN, RD, LD, CPT), Lead Registered Dietitian at Snap Kitchen, which delivers dietician-curated meal plans including Whole30, says, "This spicy sauce is so good." Noted!
The New Primal BBQ
Remember that last BBQ pulled-pork sandwich you ate? Go ahead, close your eyes and really let yourself remember . . . Salivating? Of course you are. Unfortunately, most of the ingredients in a classic BBQ sauce are a no-go on the Whole30 diet, like ketchup, molasses, and brown sugar. Luckily, so long as you find some organic pork, you can whip up some pulled pork in your crock pot with The New Primal's BBQ sauce. Their classic zesty cooking and dipping sauce "has none of the added sugar or preservatives, but all the flavor," says registered dietitian Maggie Michalczyk, R.D.N, founder of Once Upon A Pumpkin.
Yellowbird Habañero Hot Sauce
Hot sauce is one of those weird condiments that is sometimes allowed on Whole30, and sometimes not, says Presicci. That's because many brands (like Sriracha, for example) load their spicy goodness with sugar and other hard-to-pronounce preservatives. Don't worry, if you like it hot, there's one brand that's got your back: Yellowbird.
Known for making super-spicy, thick hot sauce, Yellowbird uses real ingredients to offer a few different Whole30-approved flavors including habañero, sriracha, and serrano (all of which Presicci says she's a fan of). Sprinkle it over your morning omelet or burrito bowl.
Tessemae's Ketchup
Ketchups are essentially tomato paste/puree with salt and a few other spices for flavor, according to Presicci. "While an organic version of ketchup will likely have less sugar than Heinz Classic, it will still contain more added sugar than is allowed on the Whole30." What you need, she says, is to find a ketchup that basically lacks the added sugar component of ketchup. And that's where Tessemae's flavor-packed, no-sugar-added Ketchup comes in. Use it as a dipping sauce for oven-roasted potatoes or scrambled eggs. Or spread it all over a beef patty.
Tessemae's Ranch Dressing
Ketchup isn't the only thing Tessemae's does well. According to Megan Roosevelt, RDN they have a line of salad dressings that "keep food from being bland and boring so you can have a Whole30-compliant meal, without ever sacrificing the taste." While Tessemae's offers many different kinds of dressings like balsamic vinaigrette, classic Italian, and creamy green goddess, it's the ranch that she calls out as being a M-U-S-T on your Whole30 grocery list. It's creamy with hints of herbs and tastes best slathered on carrot and celery sticks, or paired with a wedge of iceberg.
Primal Kitchen Mayo
Mayonnaise is probably the most divisive condiment in the world. You either love it or hate. And if you love it, you LOVE it. So, if you're a mayo fan and can't bare to go without the thick, egg-y concoction for a full month try Primal Kitchen's Mayo.
According to Gabrielle Mancella, a registered dietician with Orlando Health, most mayo spreads are concocted from regular eggs, canola or soybean oil, or contain added sugar, but this one is made from organic eggs and avocado oil, and is Whole30 approved. Mix it with tuna, use it as a dipping sauce for turkey and cucumber roll-up, or spread it on meat.
Coconut Secret Coconut Aminos
Beans are a no-go on the Whole30, and that means neither are soybeans or soy sauce. If you can't go four weeks without the salty sauce? Try coconut aminos. Made from coconut sap, coconut aminos are (super!) similar in taste and consistency to soy sauce. Seriously, whether you use it in home-made marinades or salad dressings, or on chicken or sashimi, you won't be able to tell the difference.
OMGhee Ghee
If you hopped on the bulletproof coffee trend you probably know ghee is a beloved fat source. For those not in the know: ghee is a golden clarified butter that, while derived from dairy, is actually lactose-free. And that's why, unlike butter or margarine, ghee is Whole30-approved. Smear it on sweet potato toast or broccoli, or use it to sauté your favorite greens.
While any ghee you'll be able to find at your local grocery store will work, Michalczyk recommends OMGhee's signature product.
Primal Kitchen Spicy Brown Mustard
Sorry folks, honey mustard is off limits because honey is not allowed on the Whole30 diet. But(!), according to Presicci, most spicy mustard is Whole30-compliant. Still, because, "some classic brands manipulate the flavor or consistency of the mustard by adding sugar or preservatives," she says, you shouldn't buy it blindly.
Save yourself time by buying Michalczyk's mustard recommendation: Primal Kitchen Spicy Brown Mustard. "It's made with only 6 ingredients, all of which are Whole30-approved, and it tastes great as the base of a homemade salad dressing, lettuce wraps, or deli-meat roll up," she says.
